17-year-old charged in Manchester playground fire

By TIM BUCKLANDNew Hampshire Union Leader

MANCHESTER — A 17-year-old local girl was arrested on charges she set a playground on fire Wednesday evening and may be questioned regarding a fire the previous night at the same playground, police said.

She is accused of causing $5,000 worth of damage at the Hunts Pool playground at the Central Little League field at 380 Lincoln St. shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday. Patterson said it appears that Williams acted alone.

The playground cannot be used until repairs are made, the Fire Department said in a release.

Wednesday's fire was the second time in as many nights that the playground was set ablaze. Police and firefighters went to the playground about 7:20 Tuesday night for a fire that had engulfed a large plastic tunnel slide. That fire was also considered suspicious, police said, and witnesses reported seeing several juveniles in the area just before Tuesday night's fire.

Patterson stopped short of saying Williams was a suspect in Tuesday's fire.